Kim Gordon To Helado Negro: Artists Share "Why I'm Voting" Today

As people head to voting polls for midterm elections, artists from across many genres share their personal stories on why they are exercising their right to vote

Jennifer Velez

GRAMMYs

Nov 6, 2018 - 11:33 am

Across the country, Americans are making their way to the polls for Nov. 6's midterm elections. In many states, voting booths close at 7 or 8 p.m. and that is reason enough for music artists to continue asking their fans to vote. From Meek Mill to Kim Gordon, 24 artists told Pitchforkwhy they are voting during the 2018 Midterm elections. Here are a few of the highlights to inspire the music maker or lover in all of us to participate in the process and make our voices heard.

Margo Price

Singer/songwriter Margo Price is a strong advocate for women's rights. Back in July, she told the Recording Academy that "There's still a lot of work to be done" when it comes to the status of women in the U.S.

"I am voting on November 6th because I love my country. I am voting because women didn’t always have the right. I am voting because children shouldn’t be gunned down in school. I am voting because black lives matter," says Price. "I vote for those without healthcare. I vote for families who have been separated. I vote for a woman’s right to choose. I vote for an end to senseless violence and racism and hatred. Sometimes I vote for the lesser of two evils, but in the end I vote for equality for all, for what I think is right and true. I vote for peace.

Jul 28, 2018 – 10:04 pm

Margo Price Talks 'All American Made'

Helado Negro

Helado Negro aka Robert Carlos Lange every other day can be heard in experimental electronic productions. This year he is going to the polls to learn more about how he can directly make change.

"I’m voting to really learn more about how I can affect the environment around me," says Helado Negro. "I know that sounds so canned, but I’ve known very little about the people representing me and where I live [New York City] in government. Some of that is from being so transient but also from being completely disillusioned by the whole system. These past few years I’ve found myself trying to read and learn more about local government. Even if it’s a steep learning curve, it’s fulfilling to know and help people around me who might not know."

Leon Bridges

GRAMMY nominated artist Leon Bridges understands the power of voting. From his background to his family lineage, Bridges he knows first hand what it is like to not have a voice.

"I am a man of color who grew up in a household that wasn’t the wealthiest. I worked in kitchens alongside immigrants. I had family with debt due to medical bills. I refuse to be afraid to vote. My grandmother had to sneak out of her mother’s house to vote during the civil rights movement because her mother wouldn’t let her vote out of fear that something bad would happen. Sometimes it feels helpless, but things do not fix themselves. We have to show up and do the work and make our voices heard," says Bridges.

Julien Baker

Singer/songwriter Julien Baker believes voting helps keep people in power accountable. Baker has used social media to talk about issues that are important to her, including gun control. This is why Baker is voting:

"I am voting in the midterm elections because I believe that when people engage with their local government, it reminds those placed in power that they are public servants who will be held accountable for their decisions. The midterms are a chance for people to vote out those they believe are failing to address the concerns of citizens."

Jeff Tweedy

Jeff Tweedy from the GRAMMY-winning band Wilco doesn't buy any excuses not to vote. "I feel angry at the selfish and thoughtless nature of those types of excuses," he said, which is why he is voting.

"Over the years, I've heard a lot of arguments against voting—like, 'it doesn't matter' or 'both sides are the same'—and I've never found any of them to be very persuasive. I've always figured that even if they're right, I'd still rather take some time out of my day and vote than shrug off my duty as a citizen and lose my right to bitch."

Kim Gordon

One of the reason punk band Sonic Youth's vocalist Kim Gordon is voting is to help make change with homelessness and mental illness. For her, voting is a powerful tool that has to be used to work.

"The United States—well, really the Disunited States today—is a body, and democracy a muscle," says Gordon. "Voting is our way of exercising it. Without this, our democracy will atrophy. When I vote, I feel a tingle of excitement. It’s a small power but it’s contagious, and it adds up when we come together to vote on issues and people who reflect our values.

Helado Negro Announces New Album, Tour With Beirut

The musician and producer will bring his Latin-inspired electro/experimental music on a world tour with indie group Beirut, in support of his upcoming sixth studio album, 'This Is How You Smile'

Jennifer Velez

GRAMMYs

Nov 14, 2018 - 2:49 pm

"Young, Latin And Proud" producer and singer, Helado Negro will soon be bringing his dose of electro-infused, Latin-inspired music to a city near you. He recently dropped a lead single, "Please Won't Please," shared a release date for his upcoming album and announced a 2019 tour with Beirut.

The Miami-born, New York-based musician, born Roberto Carlos Lange, will tour as direct support of indie rock/folk group Beirut in North America and Europe in the winter and spring as well as play additional select headline shows. The tour will bring music from his sixth studio album This Is How You Smile, out on March 8, to fans all over the world.

Known as the creator of Latin pride anthems like "It's My Brown Skin," his latest album continues to explore his identity more introspectively, looking at both the past and the present. While his last album, 2016's Private Energy, was Lange's self-love response to the social and political experiences faced by people of color in the last years, his forthcoming album This Is How You Smile gets more personal with music inspired by his upbringing. One song, "Seen My Aura," tells the story of his hot pavement walk alongside his brother to the community pool. Other subjects he explores include his relationship with his father, childhood relationships and love. In his words, the album is "a person approaching you, slowly, for 40 minutes."

"Please Won't Please" is the world's first taste of Lange's newest material and the album's opening song; the only one on the album that tackles a collective experience. Like many of his songs, "Please Won't Please" poetically tackles heavy, socio-political realities faced by immigrants and people of color. The song is reminiscent of Private Energy and highlights the sacrifices people of color make just to exist in a world that oppresses them, but also their unwavering ability to keep going. "History shows that brown won't go, brown just glows/And we'll light ourselves on fire, just to see if anyone believes," he sings.

A portion of the proceeds of his album will go to United We Dream, an immigrant rights organization. More info on his tour dates here.

The Cranberries Announce Eighth And Final Album, 'In The End'

The Irish alt-rock band, who lost lead singer Dolores O'Riordan last year, also unveiled a new single titled "All Over Now"

Jennifer Velez

GRAMMYs

Jan 15, 2019 - 4:02 pm

Band members of Irish alternative rock band the Cranberries have announced that they will release their eighth and final album In The End on April 26 via BGM.

"In honour of our dear friend and bandmate, Dolores, we present to you the final album from The Cranberries, ‘In The End,’" the band tweeted.

The announcement comes one year after the death of powerful lead vocalist Dolores O'Riordan, who died suddenly while in London for a recording session on Jan. 15, 2018. She was 46.

In honour of our dear friend and bandmate, Dolores, we present to you the final album from The Cranberries, ‘In The End’. Tune into the Jeremy Vine show on @BBCRadio2 at 1:30PM tomorrow to hear ‘All Over Now’. pic.twitter.com/YT0j4Hy7Js

The band also released a single titled "All Over Now" from the upcoming album. The song "blends rock, alternative and catchy almost pop-sounding melodies to deliver a classic Cranberries sound," the band said on their website.

The BBC reported in Sept. that O'Riordan's cause of death was a "tragic accident" due to excessive drinking. She was found submerged in the bath of her hotel room.

For 30 years, the Cranberries blended alternative rock with pop to create a melodic sound that could be both hard and sweet. Hits like "Zombie" and "Dreams" captured the band's ability to shift their sound. The final album, which has 11 tracks and was produced by Stephen Street, is a "fitting and powerful closure," the band said.

"I can't think of a more fitting way to commemorate the first anniversary of Dolores' passing and to celebrate her life than to announce to the world the release of her final album with the band," O'Riordan's mother, Eileen O'Riordan, said on the band's album announcement.

The "Rebel Girl" band, who inspired women to express themselves via music and DIY culture, will play all-ages shows in Los Angeles and New York City, as well as a 16+ show in Brooklyn, N.Y. that will begin in the spring.

"Bikini Kill are thrilled to announce they will be regrouping to play shows in NY and LA this spring," the band said on their website. "They will perform with their iconic line-up of Kathleen Hanna on vocals, Tobi Vail on drums, and Kathi Wilcox on bass -- along with guitarist Erica Dawn Lyle."

The group formed in 1990 and were based in Olympia, Wash. and Washington, D.C. Before their break-up in 1997, they recorded and released a demo, two EPs, two LPs and three singles. They toured the U.S., Japan, Europe and Australia.

Frontwoman Hanna went on to form band Le Tigre and a solo career as Julie Ruin. The Punk Singer documentary is based on her activism and musical career and shows the singer's life and battle with Lyme disease.

Tickets for all three shows will go on sale on Friday, Jan. 18. Both NYC shows will be on sale at 9 A.M. PT / 12 P.M. ET, while the L.A. show will go on sale at 10 A.M. PT / 1 P.M. ET. For more info, visit the band's website.

The magazine reports that the band has been joined by several guest vocalists in the past, including Perry Farrell and Evan Rachel Wood, and plays hits like "Rebel Rebel" and "Ziggy Stardust."

"One way or another, David is continuously there with us,” Garson said in a statement. “He’s on stage each night, in the audience and always in the very essence of each song. We do these shows for the fans who’ve loved David and his music, and for those who are new to his music-they’re about to get hooked. Through this process of the celebration of his music, we do these shows for David who is a constant presence in our minds, hearts and soul."

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